Minister Jason Hayward addresses civil skills bootcamp
Young people were encouraged to develop the skills needed to shape Bermuda’s future during the National Youth Conference’s Civic Skills Bootcamp.
Addressing participants, the Minister responsible for Workforce Development praised the partnership between the Office of Youth Affairs and the Department of Workforce Development for creating opportunities that invest in the Island’s youth.
The Minister told students that leadership is not defined by age or position but by a willingness to learn, serve others and step forward when opportunities arise.
Throughout the bootcamp, participants took part in workshops focused on communication, advocacy, civic engagement, media relations and community leadership, with the Minister describing them as “skills for life” that will benefit young people regardless of their chosen careers.
The Minister also recognised students taking part in the Department of Workforce Development’s Youth Employment Programme, encouraging them to make the most of the final weeks of their summer placements by building professional networks, seeking feedback and demonstrating a strong work ethic.
The Minister said the experience and transferable skills gained through the programme could help open doors to future career opportunities, urging participants to embrace every opportunity to learn and grow.
The Convex End-to-End has awarded $297,500 in grants to Bermuda charities, bringing the event’s total charitable giving since its launch in 1988 to $7.5 million.
Four organisations each received major grants of $50,000: Coalition for the Protection of Children, Dementia Bermuda, Knowledge Quest Ltd. and SkillCraft Bermuda.
New this year, five organisations received $12,500 Community Impact Grants: C.A.R.E. Learning Centre, It Takes A Village Foundation, Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association, Performance Pathways and Future Leaders Bermuda.
Warwick Academy received the Deloitte School Award for outstanding student participation and fundraising, while Keep Bermuda Beautiful was presented with the Anne Mello Award in recognition of its contribution to the community.
Chair of the Bermuda End-to-End Charitable Trust, Christen Styche, thanked participants, volunteers, donors and sponsors, saying the grants would help organisations continue delivering vital programmes across the Island.
The ceremony also recognised outstanding volunteers and fundraisers, with Africans in Bermuda receiving the Founder’s Trophy, Keisha Brooks named Volunteer of the Year, the Bermuda Gig Rowers recognised as the Top Fundraising Team, Wendell Dill honoured for 30 years of service as Master of Ceremonies, and Dudley Cottingham receiving the Joan Dismont Top Fundraiser Award.
The next Convex End-to-End is scheduled for May 1, 2027.
The Selection and Appointment Committee is inviting members of the public to apply to serve on Bermuda’s Human Rights Tribunal.
The independent tribunal hears and determines human rights complaints under the Human Rights Act and plays a key role in protecting the rights of people across the Island.
Committee chair Seth Darrell said the panel is seeking individuals with experience, interest or knowledge of human rights law or related issues. Applicants for the tribunal chair position must be qualified barristers and attorneys with at least five years’ standing and knowledge of human rights law.
Current members of the Judiciary, Legislature and Public Service are not eligible to apply.
Tribunal members are compensated on a per-hearing basis. Applications must be submitted online by 3 p.m. on Friday, August 7.
Mr Darrell encouraged eligible residents from all backgrounds to apply, saying the tribunal benefits from a broad range of perspectives and lived experiences that reflect Bermuda’s community.
Bermuda Hospitals Board is pleased to announce it has awarded a total of $152,000 in scholarships to 12 local students. In a ceremony held this morning, the students were presented certificates of their awards in front of their families and BHB leaders. Twelve students each received a BHB general scholarship in their speciality area, valued up to $15,000 for one year. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited educational institution approved by a relevant licensing council and maintain at least a 3.0 or equivalent grade point average.
Four of the general scholarship recipients are medical students. Anna Francoeur was awarded $15,000 for one year while Jerssiah Hassell-Belboda, Sarah Vijaykumar and Chiyaro Wedderburn were each awarded $10,000 for a year.
Zekiah Lewis received the Dr Keith Cunningham Medical Technologist scholarship in the amount of $15,000 for one year.
Five students pursuing careers in nursing received awards. The Dashunte Furbert scholarship recipient was Christopher Bean for his nursing studies at Bermuda College. He received $5,000 for one year. Mishale Corday, Naziah Robinson, Alaysia Swan and Zhi Williams each received one-year awards of $15,000.
BHB Allied Health scholarships for one year were awarded as follows: $15,000 to Keimani Trott who is studying speech and hearing science and $12,000 to medical lab science student, Kimora-Lee Bean.
“The calibre of submissions from this year’s awardees was impressive,” said BHB Chief People Officer, Paul Jones. “I encourage our student recipients to seize the opportunity to expand their knowledge and experience and ultimately return to BHB to share their expertise.”
BHB Acting CEO and Chief of Nursing Judy Richardson said: “Healthcare offers exceptional opportunities for both immediate employment and long-term career growth. We are proud to support these 12 scholarship recipients as they pursue their goal of becoming healthcare professionals and contribute to the future of care in Bermuda.
“As Chief of Nursing I am especially excited to see the high calibre of students pursuing studies in this area. We can offer immediate employment and guarantee career opportunities over the next five years, for newly qualified registered nurses who demonstrate the required competencies.
“As Bermuda faces high rates of chronic disease and a growing senior population, the demand for skilled healthcare professionals continues to increase. This creates strong career prospects for compassionate, capable graduates who are committed to serving the community at home in Bermuda.
“We are pleased to invest in educating our scholarship recipients. We know that doing so helps ensure Bermuda has the healthcare workforce needed to care for generations to come.”
A poignant ceremony was held this week to remember those lost at sea.
It’s an annual tribute organized by The Guild of the Holy Compassion.
The MV Olander and the pilot boat St. David met near Murray’s Anchorage, east of St. George’s Island. Anglican Bishop Nicolas Dill blessed wreaths that were released overboard.
The Bermuda Police Service can confirm that a serving police officer has been arrested on allegations of dishonesty offences.
A full and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding this matter is ongoing.
Acting Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Na’imah Astwood, stated: “The trust placed in the Bermuda Police Service by the community is earned through accountability, professionalism, and integrity. Those principles apply equally to every member of our organisation. Any allegation of criminal conduct involving a police officer is treated seriously and investigated thoroughly. Every member of the Service is accountable for their actions and expected to meet the standards of conduct the public rightfully expects.”
As this matter is under investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
The Bermuda Police Service remains committed to maintaining the confidence of the public by acting with transparency, fairness, honesty, integrity, and compassion, while continuing to make Bermuda safer.
Travellers can now use ShoreLink even if they have no internet connection
The Ministry of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport is pleased to announce that the latest update to the ShoreLink app is now available, making it easier for passengers to use eligible mobile fares even when Wi-Fi or mobile data is not available.
This means that eligible ShoreLink mobile tickets can now be checked and accepted on board even if a passenger’s phone does not have an internet connection at that moment. The feature is currently available for single rides, multi-trip tickets and day passes.
Minister of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport, the Hon. Owen Darrell, JP, MP, said:
“We are committed to continually improving the public transport experience for both residents and visitors. This latest ShoreLink update provides added convenience by allowing eligible fares to be validated even when an internet connection is unavailable. It is another practical enhancement that makes travelling on Bermuda’s public transport network easier and more reliable.”
Passengers are encouraged to update the ShoreLink app to access the latest offline fare validation functionality and performance improvements.
The Ministry will continue working with its technology partners to identify opportunities to further enhance the ShoreLink platform and deliver practical improvements that make public transportation more accessible, reliable and convenient for everyone.
No fresh attacks were reported on Friday as regional mediators sought to salvage diplomatic efforts to permanently end a war that began on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran
International News via Reuters:
President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States and Iran had agreed to continue talks despite a recent escalation of hostilities but he flatly declared that the ceasefire reached between the two sides last month was no longer in effect.
Trump’s comments came on a day of relative calm at the end of a week of renewed conflict, when three Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers came under fire, prompting the U.S. to hit Iranian sites, and Iran to respond with strikes on U.S. military sites in Gulf states.
No fresh attacks were reported on Friday as regional mediators sought to salvage diplomatic efforts to permanently end a war that began on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
IRAN READY FOR ‘ALL-OUT DEFENCE’, SAYS NEGOTIATOR
Iran did not immediately respond to Trump’s post, but its top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said in a post on his Telegram account the war would never end with Tehran’s surrender.
The Islamic Republic was ready for “all-out defence” if the U.S. betrayed a memorandum of understanding secured last month, he added.
That interim deal was meant to pave the way to the end of a conflict now in its fifth month that has killed thousands, throttled worldwide energy supplies and raised fears of a global economic downturn.
Qatari negotiators were meeting officials in Iran on Friday to de-escalate tensions and discuss navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will travel to Oman on Saturday at the head of a delegation for talks on bilateral relations and regional developments, particularly the situation in the strait, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported.
Daily tanker traffic through the waterway appeared to have slowed on Friday, after attacks this week raised concerns about global oil supplies and shipping.
The Qatari talks aim to address implementation of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and disputes over navigation in the strait, the source said.
Past talks have been announced with few signs of concrete progress. “We see reports that the discussions are ongoing, and we hope that they are,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in New York.
Oil prices eased on Friday but remained on track for weekly gains of 5% after the hostilities. U.S. Treasuries edged lower on concerns the trend of rising energy prices could add to inflationary pressures.
GLOBAL OIL SUPPLY UP BUT STILL BELOW PRE-WAR LEVELS
The Strait of Hormuz handled about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war. Tehran has since largely taken control of the waterway, forcing a stalemate in its confrontation with the world’s most powerful military.
Under the interim deal, the U.S. ended its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and Iran agreed to ensure safe passage of commercial vessels.
This week Washington accused Iranian forces of attacking three tankers in the area, and struck military sites in Iran in response. Iran then attacked U.S. military sites in Gulf states on Thursday.
The U.N. shipping agency’s governing council condemned efforts by Iran to impose sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s “unilateral decision” to create a body to control traffic through it.
Prior to this week’s attacks, daily tanker traffic had risen to its highest since the war began, averaging 40 ships transiting the strait. That was still far off the pre-conflict average of 125 to 140 daily sailings.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said when they launched the war that their aims were to end Iran’s nuclear activities, alongside other objectives.
Tammy Bruce, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., raised the issue on Friday, telling a Security Council meeting: “The door to diplomacy remains open, and is our preferred path to resolve concerns related to Iran’s nuclear program.”
Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear bomb, has retained its stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, and its ability to threaten neighbours with missiles and drones.
Also on Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Ali Ansari, an Iranian banker and businessman based in Dubai who had previously been sanctioned by Britain for his role in financially supporting the activities of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, among other individuals and entities.
Iran on Thursday buried its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the country’s holiest shrine in Mashhad, capping a week of funeral processions and rallies.
Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war on February 28. A condolence ceremony will be held on Friday after sunset prayers on behalf of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei for his father in the city of Qom, his office announced. Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured in the strike that killed his father, has not appeared in public, fueling speculation about his role in Iran’s future.
Additional reporting by Jonathan Saul; writing by Alexandra Hudson, Andrew Heavens and Matt Spetalnick; editing by Philippa Fletche, Andrew Heavens and Sanjeev Miglani
The finding highlights the challenges of verifying AI-generated images after common alterations, a limitation that could make it harder to identify deepfakes online during a busy election year that includes the U.S. midterms
International News via Reuters:
A new AI detection tool from Meta, which the tech company previewed this week alongside the launch of its image-generation model, Muse Image, failed to identify some of its own AI-generated images once they were cropped, according to a Reuters analysis.
The finding highlights the challenges of verifying AI-generated images after common alterations, a limitation that could make it harder to identify deepfakes online during a busy election year that includes the U.S. midterms.
In an analysis of 40 images generated using Muse Image, Reuters found the detection tool verified all of the original AI-generated images but failed to verify 55% of the same images after they were cropped to approximately one-third to one-half of their original size.
On its website, Meta says the preview detection tool can identify its own AI-generated images, even if they are cropped, through an invisible watermarking system called Content Seal, which is embedded in every image generated by Muse Image and designed to help users verify whether it was created by Meta’s AI models.
When asked about the results of the Reuters analysis of the detection tool, Meta noted that the tool was a preview. The company said the watermark is designed to remain intact after common edits, but that the signal may be lost if an image is heavily cropped.
Rival tech companies Google and OpenAI have cautioned that their own detection tools are not foolproof against image-alteration techniques.
In March, Meta’s Oversight Board, a body of experts that makes binding decisions and issues recommendations on content issues across the company’s social media platforms, called on the company to do more to address the “proliferation of deceptive AI-generated content” on its platforms and invest in stronger detection tools.
Siwei Lyu, a computer science professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo who researches AI image forensics, said he had not evaluated Meta’s tool but that watermark-based systems have limitations.
“Watermark-based methods can be highly effective when the watermark remains intact, but any modification that removes or weakens the embedded signal — such as cropping, resizing, heavy compression, or editing — may reduce their effectiveness, depending on how the watermark is designed,” Lyu said.
Sarah Barrington, an AI researcher and Ph.D. candidate at the UC Berkeley School of Information, said watermarking holds promise for the future of AI-generated content, but could only do so much.
“Like many preventive cybersecurity or physical security measures, it may not be fully watertight, but even if we catch only 90% of cases, that’s still a great leap from 0,” she said.
Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru and Seana Davis in Barcelona; additional reporting by B Carmel Jaeslin and Josh Salisbury; Editing by Stephanie Burnett, Ken Li and Nia Williams
The move, outlined in a writ, is yet another blow for Sanchez, who in the past two years has seen several members of his Socialist Party (PSOE), cabinet and inner circle involved in various graft scandals
International News via Reuters:
Spain’s High Court placed Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s former chief of staff and postmaster general under investigation on Friday as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe, ordering police to seize and analyse his mobile phone data.
The move, outlined in a writ, is yet another blow for Sanchez, who in the past two years has seen several members of his Socialist Party (PSOE), cabinet and inner circle involved in various graft scandals. Last month, his former right-hand man was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
To date, none of the cases has named Sanchez, who came to power eight years ago by ousting a corruption-plagued centre-right government on the promise of cleaning up politics.
Juan Manuel Serrano served as one of Sanchez’s top aides within his party between 2014 and 2018. When Sanchez became premier in July 2018, he named Serrano to head the postal service, keeping him in the job until 2023.
The writ showed Serrano is implicated in a suspected plot to destabilise judicial and police investigations affecting the PSOE. The focus is on text messages exchanged with Leire Diez, the group’s alleged ringleader who served in a senior position in the postal service during Serrano’s tenure.
Diez has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Serrano did not immediately reply to Reuters’ request for comment.
A PSOE spokesperson said the investigation had to run its course and the party would fully cooperate with it.
In his writ, investigating judge Santiago Pedraz said Serrano and Diez “may have used public entities for their own benefit or that of third parties”.
Poring over the messages “would help establish whether (Serrano) merely consented to an unlawful operation or whether his responsibility extended to instigating and directing it”.
Vicente Fernandez, the former head of state holding company SEPI – which oversees personnel at the postal service – is also being investigated over Diez’s appointment to the agency.
Fernandez has denied any wrongdoing.
Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip
Brent futures settled at $76.01 a barrel, down 29 cents, or 0.38%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished at $71,41 a barrel down 67 cents or 0.93%
International News via Reuters:
Oil prices settled lower on Friday after the latest round of U.S.-Iran fighting as traders grew hopeful that shipping would eventually resume in the Strait of Hormuz, but prices finished with sharp weekly gains.
Brent futures settled at $76.01 a barrel, down 29 cents, or 0.38%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished at $71,41 a barrel down 67 cents or 0.93%.
For the week, Brent gained about 5.50% and WTI nearly 4%.
“This market is ready, willing and able to jump on good news or at least no bad news,” said John Kilduff, partner with Again Capital. “And it looks like the escalation won’t get any worse.”
With the end of tit-for-tat air strikes and the promise of renewed talks between the U.S. and Iran next week, traders looked forward to the Strait of Hormuz reopening.
“Amazingly though, oil prices are coming down after a spike near $76 a barrel, even as the Strait of Hormuz was effectively shut down once again, mainly on confidence that the United States’ military strength will not allow the Strait of Hormuz to be shut down for an extended period of time,” said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with Price Futures Group, in a morning note.
On Thursday, Iranian armed forces launched attacks on U.S. military infrastructure in Gulf states after U.S. strikes on Iran’s southern coastal and eastern provinces.
Prices pared gains after a Reuters report said Qatari negotiators were in Iran to meet Iranian officials in an effort to de-escalate tensions and create conditions for broader negotiations to continue.
Separately, Iranian media reported multiple explosions across southern Iran. The area included Bushehr, where one of the country’s nuclear plants is located.
The recent escalation in hostilities between the U.S. and Iran could upend the International Energy Agency’s forecast of a significant oil market surplus next year, the agency said.
The developments have delayed a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which carried about 20% of daily global oil and gas supplies before the start of the war on February 28.
The lack of any new U.S. strikes on Iran overnight is probably weighing on oil prices, though a drop in flows through the Strait of Hormuz is limiting the downside, said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.
Liquefied natural gas tankers have passed through the strait in recent days, ship-tracking data showed, but overall daily traffic has slowed.
U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that he did not think the war would restart and that “anything that happens is going to be over very quickly”.
“Despite the U.S. ramping up attacks on military sites in Iran, the market drew some reassurance from the Trump administration’s decision to avoid targeting Iranian energy infrastructure,” said ANZ commodity strategist Daniel Hynes.
Elsewhere, the IEA downgraded its projections on Russian oil production because of Ukrainian attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure, the agency said on Friday.
Russian gasoline output fell to a level equivalent to only around 65% of the seasonal average consumption after Ukrainian drone attacks led to stoppages at large oil refineries, according to two industry sources and Reuters calculations.
Reporting by Erwin Seba in Houston, Stephanie Kelly in London, Mohi Narayan in New Delhi, Nicole Jao in New York and Anushree Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by David Goodman, Deepa Babington, David Gregorio and Nia Williams
“Do not let their names fade into silence,” they say as police renew their appeal for information in the deaths of Razi Garland and Amon Robinson
Left: Razi Garland; Right: Amon J. Robinson
Friday, 10 July 2026 marks the second anniversary of the tragic double murder of 18‑year‑old Razi Garland and 19‑year‑old Amon Robinson, which occurred at approximately 6:05 a.m. on Wednesday, 10 July 2024 in the Scaur Hill area of Sandys.
To date, two individuals have been arrested in connection with this incident; however, no charges have yet been brought before the courts.
Investigators are renewing their appeal for any relevant information — particularly from residents who may have observed suspicious persons or vehicles in the vicinity of Somerset Road and Soundview Road, Sandys, around the time of the shooting. Community involvement remains essential to identifying those responsible and ensuring they are brought to justice.
All information provided will be treated with the strictest confidence. Every detail, no matter how small it may seem, could prove vital in helping deliver justice and closure to the families and the wider community.
Anyone who can assist is encouraged to contact the Senior Investigating Officer, Acting Detective Inspector Anneka Donawa, by calling 717‑2250 or emailing adonawa@bps.bm.
“Two years ago our sons Amon and Razi were taken from us. Young men with plans, with futures, with so much still to give. Two years later, this case remains unsolved. Two years of wondering. Two years of waiting for the truth to be publicized. We are asking our community: Do not let their names fade into silence. Say them. Remember them. Amon Jermaine Robinson. Razi Alexander Garland. They were not statistics — they were our sons.
Somewhere in this community, someone knows something. Your information could be the piece that finally brings justice for our boys. We have lost count of how many shootings have happened since we lost our sons. This cannot be our new normal. Bermuda deserves better, and our children deserve better.
Amon and Razi will not become forgotten cases. The very least we owe them is the truth.
— Signed Mothers with a broken heart Chrystal-Lynn(Amon) and Renee(Razi)”
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